US5078776A - Air bed conveying system - Google Patents

Air bed conveying system Download PDF

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Publication number
US5078776A
US5078776A US07/577,545 US57754590A US5078776A US 5078776 A US5078776 A US 5078776A US 57754590 A US57754590 A US 57754590A US 5078776 A US5078776 A US 5078776A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
air
support block
air bed
block
vertical position
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Expired - Lifetime
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US07/577,545
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English (en)
Inventor
Masuhide Kajii
Yoshihiko Hayashi
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Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd
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Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd
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Publication date
Application filed by Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd filed Critical Nippon Sheet Glass Co Ltd
Assigned to NIPPON SHEET GLASS CO., LTD. reassignment NIPPON SHEET GLASS CO., LTD. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: HAYASHI, YOSHIHIKO, KAJII, MASUHIDE
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B35/00—Transporting of glass products during their manufacture, e.g. hot glass lenses, prisms
    • C03B35/14—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands
    • C03B35/22—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands on a fluid support bed, e.g. on molten metal
    • C03B35/24—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands on a fluid support bed, e.g. on molten metal on a gas support bed
    • C03B35/243—Transporting hot glass sheets or ribbons, e.g. by heat-resistant conveyor belts or bands on a fluid support bed, e.g. on molten metal on a gas support bed having a non-planar surface, e.g. curved, for bent sheets
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B2225/00—Transporting hot glass sheets during their manufacture
    • C03B2225/02—Means for positioning, aligning or orientating the sheets during their travel, e.g. stops

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an air bed conveying system for conveying workpieces such as sheet glass or the like in a floating condition within a heating furnace.
  • Curved tempered sheet glass having a single curvature such as automobile side window glass, for example, is produced by floating-type curved sheet glass manufacturing apparatus which are high in productivity. Sheet glass which is produced by such an apparatus is conveyed with its lower surface held out of contact with the conveying mechanism.
  • One conveying system for conveying sheet glass out of contact therewith is an air bed conveying system disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 47(1972)-2110.
  • a general air bed conveying system which is not particularly disclosed in the above publication, includes an air bed 200 comprising a plurality of plate-like supports 202 set as boxes on a refractory furnace floor 201, and a plurality of bed blocks 203 placed on the upper edges of the supports 202.
  • Each of the bed blocks 203 has a number of air ejection holes 203a defined therein all over its surface.
  • the supports 202 and the bed blocks 203 jointly define a number of chambers which are supplied with hot air under pressure through ducts 204. The hot air supplied under pressure to the chambers is then ejected out through the air ejection holes 203.
  • the upper edges of the supports 202 for each of the bed blocks 203 may not lie flush with each other, preventing the bed blocks 203 from being placed hermetically on the supports 202. Therefore, the hot air kept under pressure in the chambers may leak out of the chambers through gaps that may exist between the supports 202 and the bed blocks 203, or may be ejected under irregular pressures from the air ejection holes 203. When such undesirable conditions occur, the sheet glass is not well floated over the air bed 200 or is not stably conveyed thereby. Another problem is that adjacent bed blocks 203 may not be vertically aligned with each other and hence may be vertically staggered with respect to each other.
  • the present invention has been made in an effort to effectively solve the problems of the conventional air bed conveying system.
  • an air bed conveying system comprising a support block, an air bed block supported on the support block and having a plurality of air ejection holes defined therein.
  • the support block and the air bed block jointly define an air chamber for ejecting supplied air under pressure through the air ejection holes to float a workpiece.
  • the support block is of an integral box-shaped configuration and made of a quartz material having a low thermal expansion coefficient.
  • a plurality of vertical position adjusting mechanisms are disposed underneath the support block, for adjusting the support block in vertical position.
  • FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an air bed conveying system according to a first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in cross section, of an air block of the air bed conveying system shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III--III of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a support block of the air bed conveying system
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a support block according to a first modification
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a support block according to a second modification
  • FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical position adjusting mechanism of the air bed conveying system
  • FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a vertical position adjusting mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the vertical position adjusting mechanism shown in FIG. 8.
  • FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an air bed of a conventional air bed conveying system.
  • FIGS. 1 through 3 show an air bed conveying system 50 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the air bed conveying system 50 is disposed in a heating furnace 1 of a curved sheet glass manufacturing apparatus 60.
  • Sheet glass G (FIG. 3) is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 1 by the air bed conveying system 50.
  • the air bed conveying system 50 comprises a plurality of box-shaped support blocks 2 (only two shown) arrayed along the conveying direction C, and a plurality of air bed blocks 3 placed respectively on the support blocks 2 and each having a number of air ejection holes 3a defined all over the surface of each air bed block 3.
  • Each of the support blocks 2 and a corresponding air bed block 3 combined therewith jointly define an air chamber 2a (FIG.
  • the support blocks 2 are fitted over the upper openings of respective hot air supply ducts 4 which are each, in turn, connected to a source of hot air (not shown) and are each fixed to the heating furnace 1, with annular seals 4a are interposed between the support blocks 2 and the respective ducts 4.
  • the ducts 4 have respective air inlet holes (not shown) opening in the heating furnace 1 for circulating hot air which is ejected from the air ejection holes 3a. Therefore, any heat loss in the heating furnace 1 is minimized.
  • Each of the support blocks 2 has each side supported on the upper ends of two vertical legs 5 that are spaced from each other along the conveying direction C. Therefore, each of the support blocks 2 is supported by a total of four vertical legs 5.
  • the support block 2 and the legs 5 are relatively positioned horizontally by positioning pins 5a (FIG. 3) which are embedded in the support block 2 and the tops of legs 5.
  • the legs 5 extend downwardly out of the heating furnace 1 through holes la defined vertically through the furnace floor of the heating furnace 1.
  • the lower ends of the legs 5 are supported by respective vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6 mounted on a mount base 7.
  • Each of the support blocks 2 is made of a quartz material, such as fused silica having a low thermal expansion coefficient.
  • the support block 2 comprises four fired panels 2b formed by a casting process. For assembly, the mating edges of the panels 2b are ground, and then the panels 2b are bonded together into a box configuration with the upper and lower open sides being bonded by an inorganic quartz adhesive. After bonding, the upper edges of the box are ground together, thus completing the support block 2 as illustrated in FIG. 4.
  • a unitary box-shaped support block 2' with upper and lower open sides is formed by a casting process, and then its upper edges are ground together.
  • FIG. 6 shows a second modification in which four panels 2b formed by a casting process are fastened together into a box shape by angles 2c, bolts 2d, and nuts 2e, and then the upper edges of the box are ground together, thereby finishing a support block 2".
  • each of the air bed blocks 3 has an upper surface whose curvature is progressively greater downstream along the conveying direction C.
  • the upper surface of the air bed block 3 is ground such that it is inclined downwardly to one side across the conveying direction C.
  • a glass conveying chain 8 (FIG. 3) is disposed along the lower side edge of the upper surface of the air bed block 3 in spaced-apart relation to the side of the air bed block 3. The glass conveying chain 8 is caused to move along the conveying direction C by a drive mechanism (not shown).
  • the sheet glass G which is floated over the air bed blocks 3 by hot air ejected from the air ejection holes 3a is engaged at a side edge thereof by the glass conveying chain 8, and conveyed in the conveying direction C by the glass conveying chain 8. While being conveying down the air bed blocks 3 under a floating condition, the sheet glass G is bent or curved successively by the air bed blocks 3, the curvature of each sheet being progressively greater in the downward direction.
  • each of the vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6 comprises a rod 10 supported on the mount base 7, and a receiver 9 attached to the upper end of the rod 10 and supporting the leg 5.
  • the rod 10 has a vertical key 10a on an intermediate portion which engages in a vertical slot (not shown) in the mount base 7 for thereby preventing the rod 10 from rotating about its own axis.
  • the rod 10 also has threads 10b on its lower end which are held in mesh with a worm wheel 11 that is rotated by a worm 13 which is in turn rotated by a handle 12 shown in FIGS. 1 through 3.
  • the rod 10 further has threads 10c on its upper end.
  • an adjusting nut 15 with inner threads 15a is first threaded over the threads 10c, and then the receiver 9 is mounted on the threads 10c above the adjusting nut 15, the threads 10c being received in an unthreaded central loose hole 9a in the receiver 9.
  • the handle 12 When the handle 12 is turned, the worm 13 and the worm wheel 11 are rotated, causing the rod 10 to move vertically while being prevented from rotating about its own axis. As a result, the leg 5 is vertically moved through the receiver 9.
  • the handle 12 is not associated with each of the vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6, but with two of the vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6, i.e., left and right vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6 (FIG. 3).
  • the transmission of turning power between the left and right vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6 is controlled by a clutch 14 that can be engaged and disengaged as desired.
  • the adjusting nut 15 serves to adjust the vertical position of the leg 5 when the leg 5 is mounted on each of the vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6, independently of the other vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6.
  • the above operations are suitably combined together with respect to the support blocks 2, so that the upper surfaces of the air bed blocks 3 are aligned successively with each other.
  • One air bed block 3, one support block 2 coacting with the air bed block 3, one duct 4 coupled to the support block 2, four legs 5 supporting the support block 2, and two vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6 associated with the legs 5 jointly constitute a single air bed unit 51.
  • the air bed conveying system 50 comprises a series of such air bed units 51 and the glass conveying chain 8.
  • the air bed block 3 Since the upper edges of the box-shaped support block 2 on which the air bed block 3 is placed are ground together, these upper edges lie flush with each other, and hence the air bed block 3 is sufficiently hermetically placed on the support block 2. Since the vertical position of the support block 2 can be adjusted by the vertical position adjusting mechanisms 6, the vertical positions of adjacent air bed blocks 3 can well be aligned with each other. As a result, the sheet glass G can be conveyed while it is being well floated.
  • FIGS. 8 and 9 show an air bed conveying system 150 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Since the air bed conveying system 150 is basically the same in structure as the the air bed conveying system 50 according to the first embodiment, those parts of the air bed conveying system 150 which are identical to those of the air bed conveying system 50 are denoted by identical reference numerals, and will not be described in detail.
  • an upstream handle 12 and a downstream handle 12 associated with each support block 2 are coupled to each other by two direction converting mechanisms 16, two rods 17 connected thereto, and a clutch 18 connected between the rods 17, the clutch 18 being selectively engageable and disengageable.
  • the mount base 7 is equipped with indicators 19 for indicating the vertical positions of the respective legs 5.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Re-Forming, After-Treatment, Cutting And Transporting Of Glass Products (AREA)
US07/577,545 1989-09-05 1990-09-05 Air bed conveying system Expired - Lifetime US5078776A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1230239A JPH0818678B2 (ja) 1989-09-05 1989-09-05 エアベッド搬送装置
JP1-230239 1989-09-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5078776A true US5078776A (en) 1992-01-07

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Family Applications (1)

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US07/577,545 Expired - Lifetime US5078776A (en) 1989-09-05 1990-09-05 Air bed conveying system

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US (1) US5078776A (ja)
JP (1) JPH0818678B2 (ja)
CA (1) CA2024567A1 (ja)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5411617A (en) * 1993-04-26 1995-05-02 Hughes Aircraft Company Method for use in fabricating and/or testing a thin mirror
WO1999043624A1 (en) * 1998-02-26 1999-09-02 Ford Motor Company Block assembly for a gas-type lehr
WO2001062680A1 (en) * 2000-02-25 2001-08-30 Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. Glass transportation system
US20030047642A1 (en) * 2000-05-05 2003-03-13 Peter Ebner Device for guiding a metal strip on a gas cushion
US20070215437A1 (en) * 2004-07-09 2007-09-20 Oc Oerlikon Balzers Ag Gas Bearing Substrate-Loading Mechanism Process
CN101962263A (zh) * 2010-06-08 2011-02-02 河北东旭投资集团有限公司 一种平板玻璃a型架调节定位的装置与方法
WO2016189319A1 (en) 2015-05-27 2016-12-01 Pilkington Group Limited Method and apparatus for shaping glass sheets
WO2021023999A1 (en) 2019-08-08 2021-02-11 Pilkington Group Limited Method for shaping coated glass sheets

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE10045479A1 (de) * 2000-09-14 2002-04-04 Schott Glas Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum kontaktlosen Lagern und Transportieren von Flachglas
DE102004059727B4 (de) 2004-12-11 2012-07-26 Schott Ag Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum kontaktlosen Transportieren oder Lagern von Glas oder Glaskeramik

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664692A (en) * 1985-04-11 1987-05-12 Central Glass Company, Limited Heat treatment furnace for glass
US4732513A (en) * 1986-08-29 1988-03-22 Precision Metal Fabricators, Inc. Controlled speed coverless air conveyor

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664692A (en) * 1985-04-11 1987-05-12 Central Glass Company, Limited Heat treatment furnace for glass
US4732513A (en) * 1986-08-29 1988-03-22 Precision Metal Fabricators, Inc. Controlled speed coverless air conveyor

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5411617A (en) * 1993-04-26 1995-05-02 Hughes Aircraft Company Method for use in fabricating and/or testing a thin mirror
WO1999043624A1 (en) * 1998-02-26 1999-09-02 Ford Motor Company Block assembly for a gas-type lehr
US6286338B2 (en) 1998-02-26 2001-09-11 Visteon Global Technologies, Inc. Block assembly for a gas-type lehr
WO2001062680A1 (en) * 2000-02-25 2001-08-30 Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. Glass transportation system
US6505483B1 (en) 2000-02-25 2003-01-14 Surface Combustion, Inc. Glass transportation system
US20030014997A1 (en) * 2000-02-25 2003-01-23 Dunifon Thomas A. Glass transporation system
US20030047642A1 (en) * 2000-05-05 2003-03-13 Peter Ebner Device for guiding a metal strip on a gas cushion
US20070215437A1 (en) * 2004-07-09 2007-09-20 Oc Oerlikon Balzers Ag Gas Bearing Substrate-Loading Mechanism Process
CN101962263A (zh) * 2010-06-08 2011-02-02 河北东旭投资集团有限公司 一种平板玻璃a型架调节定位的装置与方法
CN101962263B (zh) * 2010-06-08 2012-07-11 东旭集团有限公司 一种平板玻璃a型架调节定位的装置与方法
WO2016189319A1 (en) 2015-05-27 2016-12-01 Pilkington Group Limited Method and apparatus for shaping glass sheets
US10995029B2 (en) 2015-05-27 2021-05-04 Pilkington Group Limited Method and apparatus for shaping glass sheets
WO2021023999A1 (en) 2019-08-08 2021-02-11 Pilkington Group Limited Method for shaping coated glass sheets

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2024567A1 (en) 1991-03-06
JPH0395020A (ja) 1991-04-19
JPH0818678B2 (ja) 1996-02-28

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